In a joint initiative ahead of the Tampere EU summit, Britain and Spain have called for the dramatic simplification of extradition within the EU.
In a paper sent yesterday to the Finnish Presidency, the two governments welcome what they call "an opportunity above all to demonstrate to Europe's citizens that the EU can add to national efforts to combat crime".
They call for a reinforcement of police co-operation, the strengthening of Europol and the creation of a European Police College.
Most significantly, they argue for the "direct implementation in all our countries of judicial decisions on criminal matters. Specifically we should promote the idea that certain measures, such as orders to freeze bank assets, or orders for the production of evidence, taken in the courts of one country should have direct legal effect in other countries."
"It would also be valuable to examine the idea," the paper continues, "that extradition proceeding should be simplified further and that they should be replaced by alternatives.
"For example, an order for the arrest of a person who has been convicted in a member-state for a serious offence should be directly carried out by the accelerated surrender of that person to the judicial authorities of the requesting state.
"Likewise, within the EU, obstacles such as the non-extradition of own nationals, and the arguments over political offences or dual criminality should be finally removed."
The proposals are an ambitious step towards the idea of a single European judicial system but reflect many of the principles already underlying an Amsterdam Treaty pledge to facilitate extradition. Two conventions on extradition have been signed between the member-states as far back as 1996 but have yet to be ratified by many states, including Ireland. Dublin sources say that the Dail is expected to ratify them before Christmas.
